Doctoral Students Say Research Universities Not Family Friendly

Highlights

Eighty-four percent of women and 74 percent of men registered the family friendliness of their future workplace as a serious concern.

More than 70 percent of women in the survey, and more than half of the men, did not consider research universities to be family friendly.

The number of young women who want to pursue careers in academic research declines by 30 percent over the course of their doctoral study, and the number of men by 20 percent.

"We may be losing some of the most talented potential academics before they even arrive for a job interview," warns a recent The Chronicle of Higher Education article titled "Balancing Act: A Bad Reputation," which explains the implications of a new survey of 8,000 doctoral students. "In the eyes of many doctoral students, the research university has a bad reputation ' one of unrelenting work hours that allow little room for a satisfying family life." The study revealed, among other statistics, that "84 percent of women and 74 percent of men registered the family friendliness of their future workplace as a serious concern. But they do not see their own universities meeting that goal. More than 70 percent of women in the survey, and more than half of the men, did not consider research universities to be family friendly." As a result, the number of students pursuing careers in academia is on the decline.

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